Letter: It’s great to see students get involved with walkout

Today, high school students across the country will walk out of classes at 10 a.m., one month to the date that 14 students and 3 educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were killed, and 17 others were injured. While I have concerns about the organizers of the Women’s March, who in turn planned the walkout, I could not be more proud of my two high school sons for participating, or more happy that Williamsville East High School and so many schools in our community are facilitating safe ways for it to happen.

Protests are never held at times that everybody agrees are appropriate, so I understand that some people are opposed to a school-time event. But schools have an obligation to educate our children beyond what’s taught in the classroom. Student-led protests have had wide-reaching and lasting impact in our country’s history (think: the Vietnam era). Allowing students to take part is embracing the belief that they should be informed and involved citizens, able to speak up when they see a need for change.

Welcoming students to share 17 minutes of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in Parkland with students from their school, their community and their country, is big. Imagine the influence these students will have when they use their voices to demand gun control in our country.